April 21, 2025 • 29 mins
What happens when a former tennis coach discovers his true calling in community engagement? In this episode of the Visual Eyes Podcast, host Chris Baker sits down with Dustin Forman, Director of Community Engagement at WestCare The Village South, to uncover how behavioral health, family support, and community partnerships are driving transformative change across South Florida.
🎧 From coaching to community care, Dustin shares his deeply personal journey into the nonprofit sector and how his work now centers around building trust, creating impact, and restoring hope for individuals facing substance use and mental health challenges.
Listeners will hear about:
- WestCare’s one-of-a-kind residential recovery program that allows women to bring all of their children
- A new 83,000 sq. ft. crisis stabilization and detox center launching soon in Pembroke Pines
- Powerful partnerships with Florida Blue, local banks, and Leadership Broward
- How small acts of kindness—like holiday toys and community yoga—leave lifelong impressions
- The importance of legacy, joy, and connection in building sustainable nonprofit systems
Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, philanthropic investor, behavioral health advocate, or community builder, this episode offers powerful insights into purpose-driven leadership, trauma-informed care, and the human side of recovery.
đź”— Learn more about WestCare The Village South:
 Website: https://villagesouth.org
Contact: 954-477-9349 | Email: dustin.forman@westcare.com
Connect with Dustin: LinkedIn
Would you like some help creating the perfect narrative for your organization?
Book your Strategy Call
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chris Baker (00:08):
Chris Baker, and each week we'll explore
incredible connections betweennonprofits, businesses and the
community.
This is a space where wehighlight inspiring partnerships
, uncover strategies forcreating meaningful impact and
share stories that show howworking together can make all
the difference.
Whether you're a nonprofitleader, a business owner or
(00:28):
someone just passionate aboutbuilding connections, this
podcast is for you.
Welcome back to Visual Eyes.
Today I have Dustin Forman fromWestCare Foundations, the
Village, south Dustin.
Can you please tell us a littlebit about your journey of
(00:48):
becoming the director ofcommunity engagement?
Dustin Forman (00:52):
Absolutely.
First off, thank you.
Thank you for having me mypleasure.
It's a real honor to be here.
My journey here was probably notthe conventional route.
I actually started actuallyworking in athletics at a
university.
So I was actually the directorof tennis for five years at a
small university called MillikenUniversity in central Illinois
(01:16):
in the city of Decatur.
How big is that?
We had about 2,000 students.
Okay, the one thing as thetennis coach I always joked
about is that X's and O's.
I was not very good, but Ithought where I excelled was in
the recruiting aspect, and whenyou're recruiting at a Division
(01:38):
III school, that's probably evenmore important than the actual
coaching.
That makes sense.
It's a little bit trickier.
So you really had to developthose relationships with not
just the players but the family,the parents, because obviously
to come to a private universityit's not cheap.
(01:58):
They were going to have tospend a considerable amount of
money and you really wanted tomake sure that you provided them
with all the information aboutthe school, let them know what
it was like and then let themmake that decision if they felt
this might be worth it A smallclass size versus going to a
(02:19):
state university with a biggerclass size, so you're developing
those relationships.
University with a bigger classsize, so you're developing those
relationships.
And as I was doing that, Irealized I'm not so much
enjoying being on the court andlike coaching, but I'm really
enjoying having theseconversations with these
families about the benefits ofcoming to Milliken University.
(02:42):
And with Milliken we alwaysjoked that we had to work five
times harder than the otheruniversities in our conference
because we were the southernmost conference, so kids that
were living in Chicago wouldhave to go through every other
(03:03):
school in our conference.
They would have to say, nope, Idon't want to go there, I want
to go three hours south to asmall town and play tennis there
, versus being in the big cityof Chicago.
So, with that being said, aftermy time, after I realized that
I did not want to be on thecourt coaching all the time that
(03:24):
you know let me use, you knowwhat the word they always say is
that transferable skills.
Chris Baker (03:30):
Oh yeah, you definitely developed a lot of
transferable skills there.
Dustin Forman (03:34):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
So that's what I was said tomyself.
Okay, what can I do?
I I've always been someone thatloves to volunteer.
I love giving back, I loveworking with individuals that
maybe don't have the sameopportunities as others, maybe
some that have fallen on hardtimes and just for me to enter
(03:55):
into the nonprofit space doingcommunity engagement and
fundraising and development, itjust seemed like a perfect match
.
I had a few other opportunitiesat different nonprofits before
joining West Care of the VillageSouth, but for me, I feel like
I hit the home run with the workthat we're doing.
I'm so honored to be workingwith West Care of the Village
(04:16):
South.
The work that we do isphenomenal.
I think we're just scratchingthe surface of the impact we're
going to continue to make.
We've been here for 50 yearsand we're not going the surface
of the impact we're going tocontinue to make.
We've been here for 50 yearsand we're not going away anytime
soon, so we're excited for theimpact we're going to have for
the next 50 years.
Chris Baker (04:33):
That's fantastic.
So 50 years is a long time.
Congratulations, that's amazing.
When did you start withWestCare?
Dustin Forman (04:41):
So I've been with WestCare now for just over a
year and a half.
Okay, so I started the latterhalf of 2023.
It's been a remarkableexperience.
You know everyone.
The staff is helpful to theclients, to volunteers, to staff
, new staff especially.
You know I'm coming in there.
(05:01):
You know the work that we do inthe behavioral health space.
I did not have that muchexperience in the behavioral
health space when I firststarted.
I had a little bit, but not alot, and you know the time that
they've all taken to kind ofexplain some of the stuff that
allows helps me when I'm goingout and speaking with potential
(05:23):
donors, nonprofit organizationsthat we can collaborate with,
banks that we've collaboratedwith.
It really has been very helpful.
So our staff is just tremendous.
Chris Baker (05:33):
So you mentioned a little bit about the programs,
but can you talk a little bitabout more of the services and
programs that you guys offerthrough WestCare?
Dustin Forman (05:41):
In behavioral health space.
We work with individuals withsubstance use and mental health
challenges.
We provide I always kind ofgive you an overall idea we
provide outpatient services inPalm Beach, broward and
Miami-Dade and what that is isthat's actually in-home, on-site
, so we're going to the homes ofthe individuals or, if the
(06:06):
individual or client feels morecomfortable meeting at a
Starbucks or a McDonald's orsomewhere else, a park, we can
do that.
We also offer inpatientresidential services at our
facility in Broward County.
So that is actually for women,pregnant women, single women and
women with children.
And what's really special aboutthis program, we are one of the
(06:30):
only nonprofit organizations inthe state that allows the women
to bring their children withthem, so keeping them together,
avoiding that trauma both forthe mother and for the child of
being separated.
And we also don't put a limiton the amount of children they
can bring.
So you know, if they have onechild, please, you know, bring
(06:52):
them.
If you have four or fivechildren, we're not going to
place a limit on how many kidsyou can bring.
I can only imagine howchallenging and difficult that
would be if you have four kidsand the facility says you can
only bring two.
So we say bring them all.
Chris Baker (07:11):
Yeah, no, I think that's very important to try to
keep the family together as muchas possible when you're going
through that.
Dustin Forman (07:18):
Yeah, and what's really nice about our facility?
We also we manage a children'sacademy right next door called
the Pembroke Pines Children'sAcademy, so that academy allows
the children that are staying atour facility they're able to go
there so, as their mothers aregoing through their clinical
(07:39):
sessions during the day, theydon't need to worry about their
children, because their childrenare being taken care of at the
Children's Academy, getting atop-notch education, and then,
once the school day is over,once their therapy is done for
the day, then they're able to betogether in the evening time.
Chris Baker (07:56):
Yeah, you're giving them an extra opportunity to
not only take care of themselvesand get better, but you're also
taking care of the kids.
So that's time.
Yeah, you're giving them anextra opportunity to, you know,
not only take care of themselvesand get better, but you're also
taking care of the kids.
So that's awesome.
Dustin Forman (08:04):
Absolutely yeah.
And then for Miami-Dade, wealso provide emergency crisis
response.
So if you're in Miami-DadeCounty and either yourself or
someone you know is having abehavioral health crisis, you
can call 1-800-HELP-YOU.
You'll be immediately connectedwith a licensed clinician and
(08:26):
then, within 45 to 60 minutes,we'll have a team, a peer
support specialist, a licensedclinician and a behavioral
health technician on siteaddressing the situation,
providing you with resources andlinkage to services.
Chris Baker (08:43):
You said that was in Miami Dade, correct.
What options do people here inBroward, and as well as Palm
Beach, have?
Dustin Forman (08:51):
For that emergency crisis response.
There's a different provider inBroward and Palm Beach County
that offer the same service.
So each county has a licensedprovider, yeah, a provider
that's been licensed to providethese services.
Do you partner with them If weget a call?
Obviously Broward and Miamithey're touching each other,
(09:11):
right?
So someone might see the sign,the billboard in Miami,
1-800-help-you as they'redriving back from work or they
see a behavioral health crisis,they're experiencing one.
They call 1-800-HELP-YOU.
We will speak with them andthen we will connect.
We will contact the provider inBroward County and then they
(09:34):
would be the ones that would beout there in the field to
address this situation.
Chris Baker (09:40):
Can you talk a little bit about more, about
partnerships and collaborationsthat you're using in the
community right now to helpfurther WestCare's mission?
Dustin Forman (09:50):
Yeah, so it's been really great.
So that's one of the thingsthat you know, since I've been
here for you know, coming on twoyears now is really making
those relationships in thecommunity whether it's other
nonprofit organizations, whetherit's for profit companies that
want to volunteer and want tocollaborate with us has been
phenomenal.
We've been very blessed.
(10:11):
So we've had various banks.
We've had PNC Bank, we've hadSeacoast Bank, we've had Valley
Bank.
They've all come in and they'veprovided financial literacy
workshops to our clients.
We've had some teachers thathave careers as teachers and
then we've had some that havenever really had a career job.
(10:31):
So some of them don't know muchabout financial literacy and I
mean even some of us don't knowabout financial literacy.
So it's really very valuablethose partnerships that we've
had with them.
And what's great to see is theclient's reaction to it.
Each session is very engaging.
(10:53):
So the banks have done a greatjob of engaging the clients.
I do focus groups with theclients once every six weeks and
that's one of the big thingsthat they keep mentioning is how
much those financial workshopsare very helpful.
Chris Baker (11:07):
I completely agree, because I mean looking back at
the schooling that I had.
You know, I had an accountingclass, but there wasn't enough
information to actually give meall of these budgeting tools in
a real life situation.
Because like, yeah, if you'regoing into account, be an
accountant or you're being abookkeeper, that accounting
class is great, but that'sliterally almost where it stops.
Dustin Forman (11:30):
They don't teach you about Roth IRAs, 401ks.
We don't learn that in school.
So that's why, having thesebanks come out and you know we
also have some staff that joinin and want to learn, because
unfortunately, some of thisstuff is not, it's not talked
about and it's not taught in theschools.
So it's been a very, a verybeneficial partnership and
(11:51):
collaboration with these banks.
Chris Baker (11:53):
In general, like we need to start bringing that
into the classroom.
We need to start having more ofthese conversations before we
get out.
Dustin Forman (11:59):
as an adult, yes, yeah, the sooner.
The sooner we can have peoplelearning this stuff, the better.
Chris Baker (12:06):
Any other collaborations or anything that
you want to share?
With our listeners.
Dustin Forman (12:12):
Absolutely yeah, so we've.
We've had a great partnershipalso with Florida Blue.
So Florida Blue has come andthey've also provided workshops.
Also, anyone that was needinginsurance our clients would be
able to sign up for insurance ifthey were in need.
Most of our clients are eitheruninsured or underinsured, so
(12:33):
Florida Blue has been able tokind of provide some information
about that, while also givingthem presentations about various
topics that are of help for ourclients.
So it's just been a really goodpartnership.
We've also worked closely withthe Florida Blue Foundation.
So one thing that we have is wein our residential facility we
have some renovations that we'reworking on, and Florida Blue is
(12:57):
very generous to renovate oneof the rooms for us.
Chris Baker (13:01):
So when you say that they actually are helping
with the insurance, so like I'mguessing especially if there are
non-insured or they'reunderinsured is that something
that actually works with FloridaBlue and WestCare, so they kind
of help get that at least themstarted and at least have that
insurance to start, or how doesthat work?
Dustin Forman (13:20):
Yeah, so our kind of goal is to make sure that
when they are leaving ourfacility, that they're leaving
and they have a lot of thingskind of checked off.
Do they have a bank account?
So we have the banks coming into help with that.
Do they have insurance whenthey leave?
That's why we have Florida Bluecoming in to help with that.
(13:41):
Do they have insurance whenthey leave?
That's why we have Florida Bluecoming out making sure that our
clients, when they do leave,they're going to have insurance.
So we have at our facility, atthe residential facility, you're
going to have two differentlevels of care.
You're going to have some thathave just entered and then some
that have entered what we callthe re-entry phase.
So the re-entry phase is whenthey start working again, but
(14:04):
they're still at our facilitybut they're working.
So they're going to leaveduring the day, go to work and
then come back.
Chris Baker (14:13):
How does this work?
So, like, if somebody is goingthrough that crisis and they
give you a call, are they alwaysthe one that are giving you the
call directly, like they'regoing through it, or sometimes,
you know, maybe a family memberor, depending on the situation,
they're in, a law officer orjudge, or how does that all come
into play?
Dustin Forman (14:33):
All of the above.
Okay, I would have figured itmight All of the above.
So, yeah, we certainly get alot from the judges, the courts.
We do get, you know, someself-referrals, so it really
runs the gamut of ways thatpeople can enter our care.
We have a missions director, amissions office that they can
(14:54):
call.
Anyone can call, and then, youknow, find out, and then our
team will kind of see if theymeet the criteria to enter our
facility.
Chris Baker (15:04):
Gotcha no, and I'm sure that that's a process to
make sure that it's you know,the right fit and it's going to
be the best for them.
Dustin Forman (15:11):
Right, so you know, just like an idea.
So for our residential facilityit's just for women and women
with children.
So single women, pregnant womenand women with children All our
other services though, men,women, children it's just the
residential facility right nowthat is just a women's only
(15:33):
facility.
Chris Baker (15:34):
Right, and I think that kind of probably is a smart
way to look at it at thismoment, because, especially if
they're bringing their kids thatway, they can just be in a
space with other women that aregoing through the same thing and
they'll feel a little bit morecomfortable.
Dustin Forman (15:51):
Also make sure that they are ready once they do
enter or depart our facility,successfully discharge our
facility, that they're ready to,you know, take care of the
child and, you know, just getback, to get back to life
(16:12):
outside of our, of our doors.
Chris Baker (16:14):
No, that's important.
Ok, what is the futurestrategies that you guys are
implementing in WestCare that isgoing to help this community?
Dustin Forman (16:24):
Yeah, so very exciting.
We have the Broward CommunityBehavioral Health Center.
So we are working on that.
We are working on renovating.
It's a former state hospital,okay, and it's about 83,000
square feet, wow, okay, verylarge facility.
That's awesome.
And when we were starting tolook into providing services
(16:49):
from there, we had an idea ofwhat it was going to be.
We had this grand idea, but wesaid, hey, let's speak with the
community.
We are a community organization.
We want to be able to provideservices to the facility.
So we thought it was one thing.
And then when we spoke withvarious stakeholders in the
(17:11):
community, they were saying,well, actually, this is our
number one need that we have.
So we actually said, okay,we're going to kind of flip on
what we were originally going todo and we're going to make sure
that we're doing something thatthe community is most in need
for.
So that facility will be acrisis stabilization unit and a
(17:33):
detox facility.
So that's going to be.
We're hoping to open thatwithin the next probably 15 to
18 months.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, so we're.
It's not open yet, yeah, butwe're hoping, yeah, we're hoping
definitely within the next twoyears, hopefully within a year
and a half, that we'll be ableto open that and, you know,
provide that service.
(17:54):
That is not very there's not alot of opportunities for those
services in the South Browardarea.
A lot of times if someone needsthat facility and they're in
South Broward, they may have togo all the police or whoever may
(18:14):
have to take them all the wayup to Fort Lauderdale.
So then that takes a policeofficer with the stakeholders
that we've spoken to, is goingto be very, very valuable.
Chris Baker (18:37):
Can you mention where in South Broward it's
potentially going to be set up?
Dustin Forman (18:41):
Yeah, so it's actually going to be.
So it's going to be in PembrokePines, actually about 300 yards
from our current facility.
It's actually about 300 yardsfrom our current facility, oh,
thanks.
So there's the Howard C Formancampus over there, which is a
lot of behavioral health,different behavioral health
organizations located on thiscampus and it will be over there
.
So it's a former state hospitalthat I believe was built in the
(19:05):
60s, but there hasn't been much, uh much, going on there in the
last couple decades.
So we're kind of coming inthere, uh, gonna provide,
revitalize it, revitalize it.
Yes, definitely revitalize it,and then make sure that the
community has these servicesthat are so desperately needed.
Chris Baker (19:23):
I agree I think that you know, opening that up
it's going to be very valuablefor the community Then.
So the next question is kind ofalong that same road, because
now that you explained that, um,is it going to be similar to
the residential piece that youhave, where it's only for women
and children or is this going tobe open to everyone?
Dustin Forman (19:44):
It'll.
It'll be open for everyone.
It will be open for everyoneand it's going to have
individuals with all differenttypes of you know mental health
challenges that we'll be able tosupport.
Chris Baker (19:56):
That's amazing, awesome, very much looking
forward to that.
I think that's an amazing goodgoal and I think it's going to
pull it forward.
So I know that you have anevent coming up here relatively
soon in April here, so can youtell us a little bit more about
that?
Dustin Forman (20:13):
Yeah, so I am the proud graduate of Leadership
Broward class of 42.
Our slogan was we got youCongratulations.
Thank you very, very much.
So, as part of the LeadershipBroward class of, in any class
there's a community project, soyou partner with a nonprofit
organization to help them withsomething that they need
(20:36):
assistance with, and we decided,hey, this would be a great time
for us to try to become one ofthose projects for the Class of
43.
We were very blessed andhonored to be selected by the
class to be one of the eightnonprofits.
So we actually have ourcommunity project team that is
(20:56):
working on helping us build agazebo on campus that the women
and the children can reallyutilize, which, as we know, in
the summer it's hot, the sun isshining.
As we know, in the summer it'shot, the sun is shining.
So to have that additionalshade for them where they can do
yoga classes, they can eatlunch there, eat dinner there,
(21:17):
whatever it is, it's going to beso valuable.
So we're really looking forwardto having that gazebo probably
is going to be ready within thenext two to three months, okay,
and then, since we are acommunity project, leadership
Broward hosts an event for us.
It's a social event, socialnetworking event, and we would
(21:41):
love to see as many people outthere.
It's going to be on April 23rd,which is a Wednesday, here in
downtown Fort Lauderdale at theFitz.
Chris Baker (21:49):
Okay.
Dustin Forman (21:50):
And we'd love to get as many people out there to
support us.
All the proceeds of the eventgo directly to WestCare, the
Village South.
We'll also be able to sharemore information about all the
work we're doing.
Probably we'll have someupdates on the building that
we're revitalizing, yeah, sodefinitely would be great to
(22:12):
have as many people in thecommunity that could come out
there.
Meet, you know, greatnetworking event, meet
individuals.
I'll be there.
Some of my colleagues will bethere.
A lot of the leadership ROWARDindividuals that are part of
this class as well as pastclasses will be there.
Chris Baker (22:28):
So just be a great networking event, that's
fantastic and if I remember youtold me previously it wasn't
that expensive, like $25?
Dustin Forman (22:38):
$25 entry.
Perfect $25 entry, and then youcan just enjoy the night and
network with great individualsin our community.
Chris Baker (22:49):
Yeah, I think for that.
I mean, it's going for a goodcause and you're actually
getting a chance to meet withsome amazing people in the room.
So wonderful, wonderful, Allright.
So, as we wrap up, there's twoquestions left.
One, how do people reach andcontact and getting touch with
WestCare?
Dustin Forman (23:07):
Yeah, so our website uh, that's one of the
best ways to get a hold of us isvillagesouthorg.
So they can go tovillagesouthorg.
They can see a list of all ourprograms, all the resources that
we provide.
On there they also can see waysto give.
If anyone's interested ingiving whether it's time, talent
(23:29):
or treasures they can certainlydo that.
They can also, of course,contact me anytime.
Whether it's communityengagement, fundraising,
whatever it is, I'm the bestperson to get a hold of at West
Care of the Village South.
So feel free to reach out to me.
My number is 954-477-9349.
(23:50):
You can also reach me at email,which is dustinforman
F-O-R-M-A-N at westcarecom.
Chris Baker (23:58):
The last question, and this is the most important
question that I really love toask all of my guests, is what is
the legacy you hope to leavefor future generations?
Dustin Forman (24:08):
So and I love this question.
So the week before Christmas wedo events galore for the
clients.
We do all these events.
We partnered with Macy's.
Macy's has been just anincredible partner for us.
So we partnered with Macy's.
We partnered with the GumacandaReady Foundation.
(24:31):
We partnered with Girl ScoutTroops, and the amount of toys
that they were able to providefor our children, the amount of
hope they were able to providefor our women was unmatched,
just to give you a quick story.
(24:52):
So we did this Macy's event ona Saturday, monday.
One of our clients saw me at thefacility on campus and she said
Dustin, look, and she was ableto show off the watch that she
was able to buy because Macy'sprovided them all with gift
cards.
So she was so proud and happyand she was actually being
(25:15):
successfully discharged a fewdays later.
So she was on cloud nine, shewas so happy.
So that was great to see.
We also actually, just theother day, a little kid couldn't
have been more than eight yearsold.
He saw me and I hear himwhispering to his mom hey,
that's the guy that got us allthose toys around Christmas.
(25:38):
So you know, for me, when itcomes to legacy, I just want to
do good in this world and put asmile on people's faces.
And when these women and thesechildren they're coming with us,
it's not the ideal situationfor them.
They know they need to be here,but of course they'd rather be
(26:01):
at home with their loved ones,but they know at this time in
their life this is where theyneed to be.
So if we can, if I can makethat and we can make that just a
little bit better as they'regoing through their recovery, I
guess that's that's kind of thelegacy that I that I would like
to leave.
And you know, at the end of that, events galore week, every
(26:23):
woman, every woman at thefacility, they all, they made a
scrapbook for me all saying youknow, thank you for all that you
did, thank you for you know,putting a smile on my face, on
my children's faces.
Thank you know, thank you forall these events that you were
able to coordinate for us.
That's what you know, that'swhat that's what it's all about
and I obviously I keep that,that scrapbook, with me.
(26:46):
It's definitely something Ihold, I hold very close to my
heart and in the end, I thinkthat's what it's all about.
We want to make sure also thatwhen these women do leave us
successfully discharged from ourfacility, that one they're
going, they're kind of leavingthis, their life, behind, where
(27:07):
they're from our facility, fromthe thing that got them here,
they're leaving that behind,they're entering a new, a second
chance.
And also, if we can make thatmemory at our facility just a
little bit easier just a littlebit easier, because it's it's
(27:29):
tough so if we can make thattheir time here a little bit
more enjoyable, uh, you know,have some positive memories for
these children, some of thechildren that are with us, this
is going to be their firstmemory.
Oh yeah, this is going to be itfor them, like they're not.
You know they're not going toremember anything before.
So for some of them this isgoing to be their first memory.
(27:49):
Let's make sure it's a positiveone.
So that's why when we do theseevents and it's exhausting it's
between Thanksgiving andChristmas it's real tiring, but
when it becomes Christmas Day,and then you can think about all
the work that went into thelast month, it's all worth it,
because for the women to seethem smiling is amazing.
(28:14):
And knowing that these childrenthat were giving them probably
their first memory and makingsure it's a positive one, to me
that's what it's all about.
Chris Baker (28:24):
So there was one word in there and I honestly
feel like if we were to sum itup for you you want to leave for
future generations.
It was hope, Literally.
When you said that, I felt it.
I was like, yep, this man wantsto leave a legacy of hope for
future generations.
I think that's beautiful.
Dustin Forman (28:43):
Absolutely.
If you have no hope, it's goingto go down a dark path.
But if you can have hope, hopethat tomorrow is going to be
better than today, better thanyesterday nothing's stopping
them.
Chris Baker (28:58):
Yeah, it opens up multiple doors and it saves
their life, because now theyhave something to at least look
forward to.
Absolutely so, Dustin, thankyou so much today for being here
on the show Visual Eyes, and Iactually hope to have you back
in the future.
So thank you again.
Dustin Forman (29:14):
I would love to be back.
Thank you so much for thisopportunity.
Thank you.
Chris Baker (29:19):
Thank you for joining me on this episode of
Visual Eyes.
We hope that the inspirationand practical insights can help
you foster stronger connectionsand meaningful change.
Don't forget to subscribe,share the episode and leave us a
review.
To learn more about Visuals byMomo and how we support
collaboration and storytelling,visit visualsbymomo.
com.
(29:40):
A huge thank you to everyoneout there listening.
Until next time, remember,collaboration fuels change and
your connections can inspire theworld.
Chris Baker, and each week we'll explore
incredible connections betweennonprofits, businesses and the
community.
This is a space where wehighlight inspiring partnerships
, uncover strategies forcreating meaningful impact and
share stories that show howworking together can make all
the difference.
Whether you're a nonprofitleader, a business owner or
(00:28):
someone just passionate aboutbuilding connections, this
podcast is for you.
Welcome back to Visual Eyes.
Today I have Dustin Forman fromWestCare Foundations, the
Village, south Dustin.
Can you please tell us a littlebit about your journey of
(00:48):
becoming the director ofcommunity engagement?
Dustin Forman (00:52):
Absolutely.
First off, thank you.
Thank you for having me mypleasure.
It's a real honor to be here.
My journey here was probably notthe conventional route.
I actually started actuallyworking in athletics at a
university.
So I was actually the directorof tennis for five years at a
small university called MillikenUniversity in central Illinois
(01:16):
in the city of Decatur.
How big is that?
We had about 2,000 students.
Okay, the one thing as thetennis coach I always joked
about is that X's and O's.
I was not very good, but Ithought where I excelled was in
the recruiting aspect, and whenyou're recruiting at a Division
(01:38):
III school, that's probably evenmore important than the actual
coaching.
That makes sense.
It's a little bit trickier.
So you really had to developthose relationships with not
just the players but the family,the parents, because obviously
to come to a private universityit's not cheap.
(01:58):
They were going to have tospend a considerable amount of
money and you really wanted tomake sure that you provided them
with all the information aboutthe school, let them know what
it was like and then let themmake that decision if they felt
this might be worth it A smallclass size versus going to a
(02:19):
state university with a biggerclass size, so you're developing
those relationships.
University with a bigger classsize, so you're developing those
relationships.
And as I was doing that, Irealized I'm not so much
enjoying being on the court andlike coaching, but I'm really
enjoying having theseconversations with these
families about the benefits ofcoming to Milliken University.
(02:42):
And with Milliken we alwaysjoked that we had to work five
times harder than the otheruniversities in our conference
because we were the southernmost conference, so kids that
were living in Chicago wouldhave to go through every other
(03:03):
school in our conference.
They would have to say, nope, Idon't want to go there, I want
to go three hours south to asmall town and play tennis there
, versus being in the big cityof Chicago.
So, with that being said, aftermy time, after I realized that
I did not want to be on thecourt coaching all the time that
(03:24):
you know let me use, you knowwhat the word they always say is
that transferable skills.
Chris Baker (03:30):
Oh yeah, you definitely developed a lot of
transferable skills there.
Dustin Forman (03:34):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
So that's what I was said tomyself.
Okay, what can I do?
I I've always been someone thatloves to volunteer.
I love giving back, I loveworking with individuals that
maybe don't have the sameopportunities as others, maybe
some that have fallen on hardtimes and just for me to enter
(03:55):
into the nonprofit space doingcommunity engagement and
fundraising and development, itjust seemed like a perfect match
.
I had a few other opportunitiesat different nonprofits before
joining West Care of the VillageSouth, but for me, I feel like
I hit the home run with the workthat we're doing.
I'm so honored to be workingwith West Care of the Village
(04:16):
South.
The work that we do isphenomenal.
I think we're just scratchingthe surface of the impact we're
going to continue to make.
We've been here for 50 yearsand we're not going the surface
of the impact we're going tocontinue to make.
We've been here for 50 yearsand we're not going away anytime
soon, so we're excited for theimpact we're going to have for
the next 50 years.
Chris Baker (04:33):
That's fantastic.
So 50 years is a long time.
Congratulations, that's amazing.
When did you start withWestCare?
Dustin Forman (04:41):
So I've been with WestCare now for just over a
year and a half.
Okay, so I started the latterhalf of 2023.
It's been a remarkableexperience.
You know everyone.
The staff is helpful to theclients, to volunteers, to staff
, new staff especially.
You know I'm coming in there.
(05:01):
You know the work that we do inthe behavioral health space.
I did not have that muchexperience in the behavioral
health space when I firststarted.
I had a little bit, but not alot, and you know the time that
they've all taken to kind ofexplain some of the stuff that
allows helps me when I'm goingout and speaking with potential
(05:23):
donors, nonprofit organizationsthat we can collaborate with,
banks that we've collaboratedwith.
It really has been very helpful.
So our staff is just tremendous.
Chris Baker (05:33):
So you mentioned a little bit about the programs,
but can you talk a little bitabout more of the services and
programs that you guys offerthrough WestCare?
Dustin Forman (05:41):
In behavioral health space.
We work with individuals withsubstance use and mental health
challenges.
We provide I always kind ofgive you an overall idea we
provide outpatient services inPalm Beach, broward and
Miami-Dade and what that is isthat's actually in-home, on-site
, so we're going to the homes ofthe individuals or, if the
(06:06):
individual or client feels morecomfortable meeting at a
Starbucks or a McDonald's orsomewhere else, a park, we can
do that.
We also offer inpatientresidential services at our
facility in Broward County.
So that is actually for women,pregnant women, single women and
women with children.
And what's really special aboutthis program, we are one of the
(06:30):
only nonprofit organizations inthe state that allows the women
to bring their children withthem, so keeping them together,
avoiding that trauma both forthe mother and for the child of
being separated.
And we also don't put a limiton the amount of children they
can bring.
So you know, if they have onechild, please, you know, bring
(06:52):
them.
If you have four or fivechildren, we're not going to
place a limit on how many kidsyou can bring.
I can only imagine howchallenging and difficult that
would be if you have four kidsand the facility says you can
only bring two.
So we say bring them all.
Chris Baker (07:11):
Yeah, no, I think that's very important to try to
keep the family together as muchas possible when you're going
through that.
Dustin Forman (07:18):
Yeah, and what's really nice about our facility?
We also we manage a children'sacademy right next door called
the Pembroke Pines Children'sAcademy, so that academy allows
the children that are staying atour facility they're able to go
there so, as their mothers aregoing through their clinical
(07:39):
sessions during the day, theydon't need to worry about their
children, because their childrenare being taken care of at the
Children's Academy, getting atop-notch education, and then,
once the school day is over,once their therapy is done for
the day, then they're able to betogether in the evening time.
Chris Baker (07:56):
Yeah, you're giving them an extra opportunity to
not only take care of themselvesand get better, but you're also
taking care of the kids.
So that's time.
Yeah, you're giving them anextra opportunity to, you know,
not only take care of themselvesand get better, but you're also
taking care of the kids.
So that's awesome.
Dustin Forman (08:04):
Absolutely yeah.
And then for Miami-Dade, wealso provide emergency crisis
response.
So if you're in Miami-DadeCounty and either yourself or
someone you know is having abehavioral health crisis, you
can call 1-800-HELP-YOU.
You'll be immediately connectedwith a licensed clinician and
(08:26):
then, within 45 to 60 minutes,we'll have a team, a peer
support specialist, a licensedclinician and a behavioral
health technician on siteaddressing the situation,
providing you with resources andlinkage to services.
Chris Baker (08:43):
You said that was in Miami Dade, correct.
What options do people here inBroward, and as well as Palm
Beach, have?
Dustin Forman (08:51):
For that emergency crisis response.
There's a different provider inBroward and Palm Beach County
that offer the same service.
So each county has a licensedprovider, yeah, a provider
that's been licensed to providethese services.
Do you partner with them If weget a call?
Obviously Broward and Miamithey're touching each other,
(09:11):
right?
So someone might see the sign,the billboard in Miami,
1-800-help-you as they'redriving back from work or they
see a behavioral health crisis,they're experiencing one.
They call 1-800-HELP-YOU.
We will speak with them andthen we will connect.
We will contact the provider inBroward County and then they
(09:34):
would be the ones that would beout there in the field to
address this situation.
Chris Baker (09:40):
Can you talk a little bit about more, about
partnerships and collaborationsthat you're using in the
community right now to helpfurther WestCare's mission?
Dustin Forman (09:50):
Yeah, so it's been really great.
So that's one of the thingsthat you know, since I've been
here for you know, coming on twoyears now is really making
those relationships in thecommunity whether it's other
nonprofit organizations, whetherit's for profit companies that
want to volunteer and want tocollaborate with us has been
phenomenal.
We've been very blessed.
(10:11):
So we've had various banks.
We've had PNC Bank, we've hadSeacoast Bank, we've had Valley
Bank.
They've all come in and they'veprovided financial literacy
workshops to our clients.
We've had some teachers thathave careers as teachers and
then we've had some that havenever really had a career job.
(10:31):
So some of them don't know muchabout financial literacy and I
mean even some of us don't knowabout financial literacy.
So it's really very valuablethose partnerships that we've
had with them.
And what's great to see is theclient's reaction to it.
Each session is very engaging.
(10:53):
So the banks have done a greatjob of engaging the clients.
I do focus groups with theclients once every six weeks and
that's one of the big thingsthat they keep mentioning is how
much those financial workshopsare very helpful.
Chris Baker (11:07):
I completely agree, because I mean looking back at
the schooling that I had.
You know, I had an accountingclass, but there wasn't enough
information to actually give meall of these budgeting tools in
a real life situation.
Because like, yeah, if you'regoing into account, be an
accountant or you're being abookkeeper, that accounting
class is great, but that'sliterally almost where it stops.
Dustin Forman (11:30):
They don't teach you about Roth IRAs, 401ks.
We don't learn that in school.
So that's why, having thesebanks come out and you know we
also have some staff that joinin and want to learn, because
unfortunately, some of thisstuff is not, it's not talked
about and it's not taught in theschools.
So it's been a very, a verybeneficial partnership and
(11:51):
collaboration with these banks.
Chris Baker (11:53):
In general, like we need to start bringing that
into the classroom.
We need to start having more ofthese conversations before we
get out.
Dustin Forman (11:59):
as an adult, yes, yeah, the sooner.
The sooner we can have peoplelearning this stuff, the better.
Chris Baker (12:06):
Any other collaborations or anything that
you want to share?
With our listeners.
Dustin Forman (12:12):
Absolutely yeah, so we've.
We've had a great partnershipalso with Florida Blue.
So Florida Blue has come andthey've also provided workshops.
Also, anyone that was needinginsurance our clients would be
able to sign up for insurance ifthey were in need.
Most of our clients are eitheruninsured or underinsured, so
(12:33):
Florida Blue has been able tokind of provide some information
about that, while also givingthem presentations about various
topics that are of help for ourclients.
So it's just been a really goodpartnership.
We've also worked closely withthe Florida Blue Foundation.
So one thing that we have is wein our residential facility we
have some renovations that we'reworking on, and Florida Blue is
(12:57):
very generous to renovate oneof the rooms for us.
Chris Baker (13:01):
So when you say that they actually are helping
with the insurance, so like I'mguessing especially if there are
non-insured or they'reunderinsured is that something
that actually works with FloridaBlue and WestCare, so they kind
of help get that at least themstarted and at least have that
insurance to start, or how doesthat work?
Dustin Forman (13:20):
Yeah, so our kind of goal is to make sure that
when they are leaving ourfacility, that they're leaving
and they have a lot of thingskind of checked off.
Do they have a bank account?
So we have the banks coming into help with that.
Do they have insurance whenthey leave?
That's why we have Florida Bluecoming in to help with that.
(13:41):
Do they have insurance whenthey leave?
That's why we have Florida Bluecoming out making sure that our
clients, when they do leave,they're going to have insurance.
So we have at our facility, atthe residential facility, you're
going to have two differentlevels of care.
You're going to have some thathave just entered and then some
that have entered what we callthe re-entry phase.
So the re-entry phase is whenthey start working again, but
(14:04):
they're still at our facilitybut they're working.
So they're going to leaveduring the day, go to work and
then come back.
Chris Baker (14:13):
How does this work?
So, like, if somebody is goingthrough that crisis and they
give you a call, are they alwaysthe one that are giving you the
call directly, like they'regoing through it, or sometimes,
you know, maybe a family memberor, depending on the situation,
they're in, a law officer orjudge, or how does that all come
into play?
Dustin Forman (14:33):
All of the above.
Okay, I would have figured itmight All of the above.
So, yeah, we certainly get alot from the judges, the courts.
We do get, you know, someself-referrals, so it really
runs the gamut of ways thatpeople can enter our care.
We have a missions director, amissions office that they can
(14:54):
call.
Anyone can call, and then, youknow, find out, and then our
team will kind of see if theymeet the criteria to enter our
facility.
Chris Baker (15:04):
Gotcha no, and I'm sure that that's a process to
make sure that it's you know,the right fit and it's going to
be the best for them.
Dustin Forman (15:11):
Right, so you know, just like an idea.
So for our residential facilityit's just for women and women
with children.
So single women, pregnant womenand women with children All our
other services though, men,women, children it's just the
residential facility right nowthat is just a women's only
(15:33):
facility.
Chris Baker (15:34):
Right, and I think that kind of probably is a smart
way to look at it at thismoment, because, especially if
they're bringing their kids thatway, they can just be in a
space with other women that aregoing through the same thing and
they'll feel a little bit morecomfortable.
Dustin Forman (15:51):
Also make sure that they are ready once they do
enter or depart our facility,successfully discharge our
facility, that they're ready to,you know, take care of the
child and, you know, just getback, to get back to life
(16:12):
outside of our, of our doors.
Chris Baker (16:14):
No, that's important.
Ok, what is the futurestrategies that you guys are
implementing in WestCare that isgoing to help this community?
Dustin Forman (16:24):
Yeah, so very exciting.
We have the Broward CommunityBehavioral Health Center.
So we are working on that.
We are working on renovating.
It's a former state hospital,okay, and it's about 83,000
square feet, wow, okay, verylarge facility.
That's awesome.
And when we were starting tolook into providing services
(16:49):
from there, we had an idea ofwhat it was going to be.
We had this grand idea, but wesaid, hey, let's speak with the
community.
We are a community organization.
We want to be able to provideservices to the facility.
So we thought it was one thing.
And then when we spoke withvarious stakeholders in the
(17:11):
community, they were saying,well, actually, this is our
number one need that we have.
So we actually said, okay,we're going to kind of flip on
what we were originally going todo and we're going to make sure
that we're doing something thatthe community is most in need
for.
So that facility will be acrisis stabilization unit and a
(17:33):
detox facility.
So that's going to be.
We're hoping to open thatwithin the next probably 15 to
18 months.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, so we're.
It's not open yet, yeah, butwe're hoping, yeah, we're hoping
definitely within the next twoyears, hopefully within a year
and a half, that we'll be ableto open that and, you know,
provide that service.
(17:54):
That is not very there's not alot of opportunities for those
services in the South Browardarea.
A lot of times if someone needsthat facility and they're in
South Broward, they may have togo all the police or whoever may
(18:14):
have to take them all the wayup to Fort Lauderdale.
So then that takes a policeofficer with the stakeholders
that we've spoken to, is goingto be very, very valuable.
Chris Baker (18:37):
Can you mention where in South Broward it's
potentially going to be set up?
Dustin Forman (18:41):
Yeah, so it's actually going to be.
So it's going to be in PembrokePines, actually about 300 yards
from our current facility.
It's actually about 300 yardsfrom our current facility, oh,
thanks.
So there's the Howard C Formancampus over there, which is a
lot of behavioral health,different behavioral health
organizations located on thiscampus and it will be over there
.
So it's a former state hospitalthat I believe was built in the
(19:05):
60s, but there hasn't been much, uh much, going on there in the
last couple decades.
So we're kind of coming inthere, uh, gonna provide,
revitalize it, revitalize it.
Yes, definitely revitalize it,and then make sure that the
community has these servicesthat are so desperately needed.
Chris Baker (19:23):
I agree I think that you know, opening that up
it's going to be very valuablefor the community Then.
So the next question is kind ofalong that same road, because
now that you explained that, um,is it going to be similar to
the residential piece that youhave, where it's only for women
and children or is this going tobe open to everyone?
Dustin Forman (19:44):
It'll.
It'll be open for everyone.
It will be open for everyoneand it's going to have
individuals with all differenttypes of you know mental health
challenges that we'll be able tosupport.
Chris Baker (19:56):
That's amazing, awesome, very much looking
forward to that.
I think that's an amazing goodgoal and I think it's going to
pull it forward.
So I know that you have anevent coming up here relatively
soon in April here, so can youtell us a little bit more about
that?
Dustin Forman (20:13):
Yeah, so I am the proud graduate of Leadership
Broward class of 42.
Our slogan was we got youCongratulations.
Thank you very, very much.
So, as part of the LeadershipBroward class of, in any class
there's a community project, soyou partner with a nonprofit
organization to help them withsomething that they need
(20:36):
assistance with, and we decided,hey, this would be a great time
for us to try to become one ofthose projects for the Class of
43.
We were very blessed andhonored to be selected by the
class to be one of the eightnonprofits.
So we actually have ourcommunity project team that is
(20:56):
working on helping us build agazebo on campus that the women
and the children can reallyutilize, which, as we know, in
the summer it's hot, the sun isshining.
As we know, in the summer it'shot, the sun is shining.
So to have that additionalshade for them where they can do
yoga classes, they can eatlunch there, eat dinner there,
(21:17):
whatever it is, it's going to beso valuable.
So we're really looking forwardto having that gazebo probably
is going to be ready within thenext two to three months, okay,
and then, since we are acommunity project, leadership
Broward hosts an event for us.
It's a social event, socialnetworking event, and we would
(21:41):
love to see as many people outthere.
It's going to be on April 23rd,which is a Wednesday, here in
downtown Fort Lauderdale at theFitz.
Chris Baker (21:49):
Okay.
Dustin Forman (21:50):
And we'd love to get as many people out there to
support us.
All the proceeds of the eventgo directly to WestCare, the
Village South.
We'll also be able to sharemore information about all the
work we're doing.
Probably we'll have someupdates on the building that
we're revitalizing, yeah, sodefinitely would be great to
(22:12):
have as many people in thecommunity that could come out
there.
Meet, you know, greatnetworking event, meet
individuals.
I'll be there.
Some of my colleagues will bethere.
A lot of the leadership ROWARDindividuals that are part of
this class as well as pastclasses will be there.
Chris Baker (22:28):
So just be a great networking event, that's
fantastic and if I remember youtold me previously it wasn't
that expensive, like $25?
Dustin Forman (22:38):
$25 entry.
Perfect $25 entry, and then youcan just enjoy the night and
network with great individualsin our community.
Chris Baker (22:49):
Yeah, I think for that.
I mean, it's going for a goodcause and you're actually
getting a chance to meet withsome amazing people in the room.
So wonderful, wonderful, Allright.
So, as we wrap up, there's twoquestions left.
One, how do people reach andcontact and getting touch with
WestCare?
Dustin Forman (23:07):
Yeah, so our website uh, that's one of the
best ways to get a hold of us isvillagesouthorg.
So they can go tovillagesouthorg.
They can see a list of all ourprograms, all the resources that
we provide.
On there they also can see waysto give.
If anyone's interested ingiving whether it's time, talent
(23:29):
or treasures they can certainlydo that.
They can also, of course,contact me anytime.
Whether it's communityengagement, fundraising,
whatever it is, I'm the bestperson to get a hold of at West
Care of the Village South.
So feel free to reach out to me.
My number is 954-477-9349.
(23:50):
You can also reach me at email,which is dustinforman
F-O-R-M-A-N at westcarecom.
Chris Baker (23:58):
The last question, and this is the most important
question that I really love toask all of my guests, is what is
the legacy you hope to leavefor future generations?
Dustin Forman (24:08):
So and I love this question.
So the week before Christmas wedo events galore for the
clients.
We do all these events.
We partnered with Macy's.
Macy's has been just anincredible partner for us.
So we partnered with Macy's.
We partnered with the GumacandaReady Foundation.
(24:31):
We partnered with Girl ScoutTroops, and the amount of toys
that they were able to providefor our children, the amount of
hope they were able to providefor our women was unmatched,
just to give you a quick story.
(24:52):
So we did this Macy's event ona Saturday, monday.
One of our clients saw me at thefacility on campus and she said
Dustin, look, and she was ableto show off the watch that she
was able to buy because Macy'sprovided them all with gift
cards.
So she was so proud and happyand she was actually being
(25:15):
successfully discharged a fewdays later.
So she was on cloud nine, shewas so happy.
So that was great to see.
We also actually, just theother day, a little kid couldn't
have been more than eight yearsold.
He saw me and I hear himwhispering to his mom hey,
that's the guy that got us allthose toys around Christmas.
(25:38):
So you know, for me, when itcomes to legacy, I just want to
do good in this world and put asmile on people's faces.
And when these women and thesechildren they're coming with us,
it's not the ideal situationfor them.
They know they need to be here,but of course they'd rather be
(26:01):
at home with their loved ones,but they know at this time in
their life this is where theyneed to be.
So if we can, if I can makethat and we can make that just a
little bit better as they'regoing through their recovery, I
guess that's that's kind of thelegacy that I that I would like
to leave.
And you know, at the end of that, events galore week, every
(26:23):
woman, every woman at thefacility, they all, they made a
scrapbook for me all saying youknow, thank you for all that you
did, thank you for you know,putting a smile on my face, on
my children's faces.
Thank you know, thank you forall these events that you were
able to coordinate for us.
That's what you know, that'swhat that's what it's all about
and I obviously I keep that,that scrapbook, with me.
(26:46):
It's definitely something Ihold, I hold very close to my
heart and in the end, I thinkthat's what it's all about.
We want to make sure also thatwhen these women do leave us
successfully discharged from ourfacility, that one they're
going, they're kind of leavingthis, their life, behind, where
(27:07):
they're from our facility, fromthe thing that got them here,
they're leaving that behind,they're entering a new, a second
chance.
And also, if we can make thatmemory at our facility just a
little bit easier just a littlebit easier, because it's it's
(27:29):
tough so if we can make thattheir time here a little bit
more enjoyable, uh, you know,have some positive memories for
these children, some of thechildren that are with us, this
is going to be their firstmemory.
Oh yeah, this is going to be itfor them, like they're not.
You know they're not going toremember anything before.
So for some of them this isgoing to be their first memory.
(27:49):
Let's make sure it's a positiveone.
So that's why when we do theseevents and it's exhausting it's
between Thanksgiving andChristmas it's real tiring, but
when it becomes Christmas Day,and then you can think about all
the work that went into thelast month, it's all worth it,
because for the women to seethem smiling is amazing.
(28:14):
And knowing that these childrenthat were giving them probably
their first memory and makingsure it's a positive one, to me
that's what it's all about.
Chris Baker (28:24):
So there was one word in there and I honestly
feel like if we were to sum itup for you you want to leave for
future generations.
It was hope, Literally.
When you said that, I felt it.
I was like, yep, this man wantsto leave a legacy of hope for
future generations.
I think that's beautiful.
Dustin Forman (28:43):
Absolutely.
If you have no hope, it's goingto go down a dark path.
But if you can have hope, hopethat tomorrow is going to be
better than today, better thanyesterday nothing's stopping
them.
Chris Baker (28:58):
Yeah, it opens up multiple doors and it saves
their life, because now theyhave something to at least look
forward to.
Absolutely so, Dustin, thankyou so much today for being here
on the show Visual Eyes, and Iactually hope to have you back
in the future.
So thank you again.
Dustin Forman (29:14):
I would love to be back.
Thank you so much for thisopportunity.
Thank you.
Chris Baker (29:19):
Thank you for joining me on this episode of
Visual Eyes.
We hope that the inspirationand practical insights can help
you foster stronger connectionsand meaningful change.
Don't forget to subscribe,share the episode and leave us a
review.
To learn more about Visuals byMomo and how we support
collaboration and storytelling,visit visualsbymomo.
com.
(29:40):
A huge thank you to everyoneout there listening.
Until next time, remember,collaboration fuels change and
your connections can inspire theworld.
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